


nova week

by haechi



Category: Nova (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-06 06:09:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8737792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haechi/pseuds/haechi
Summary: day one: family, sam & kaelynnday two: outer space/earth, sam & starsday three: mentor/protégé, sam & carol danversday four: teams, sam & the championsday five: free day, surprise





	1. family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Even the Nova helmet can’t protect me from Mom’s wrath and I need to exist to protect the universe, sis. It’s basic math.”
> 
> “None of that was math, Sam.”
> 
> “And that’s why I’m not teaching you to fly yet, Kae.”

“Sam, c’mon! Hurrrrrrrrry up!” Kaelynn had a vice-like grip on Sam’s wrist, dragging with all of the force she could muster at half his height. Sam leaned back, feigning resistance before coming to a complete stop. It was the middle of the night and they had reached the deserted Carefree, Arizona, skate park. Kaelynn abruptly released him, turned, and stuck her chin up to look him in the eye, one brow raised just slightly higher than the other. Sam suppressed a laugh.

“You know what?”

“What?”

“I think I’ve changed my mind.”

“Sammmmmmm.”

“No. I’ve definitely changed my mind. You aren’t ready.”

“But you promised.”

“I also made a promise to protect the galaxy.”

“Really,” she said flatly. “Like that has any effect on you teaching me to skateboard.”

“Even the Nova helmet can’t protect me from Mom’s wrath and I need to exist to protect the universe, sis. It’s basic math.”

“None of that was math, Sam.”

“And that’s why I’m not teaching you to fly yet, Kae.”

Kaelynn tipped her head back, just enough to look up at the sky. The moon was bright and even the lights illuminating the skate park weren’t enough to dim the stars. Sam looked at the stars and saw duty and responsibility and obligation, Kaelynn looked up and saw adventure.

“Next year?”

“Well, the world is gonna need a Nova when I start college.” She smiled. Sam almost wished he’d brought the Nova helmet with him tonight. Instead, he had stashed a bright pink helmet, hand decorated with glow-in-the-dark stars, in his backpack. He pressed his foot to the base of his skateboard, flipping it up to catch it in one hand. “You ready, Kae?”

She nodded, slowly but sure. He extended his arm, watched her reach up and tentatively brush the board with her fingertips. He lifted the board up and down, just enough to suggest that she should take it from him. This time she took the board in one hand, faltered for a moment, underestimating the weight, and then lifted her other hand to take hold of the board from both ends. Sam paused for just a second then slid his backpack over his shoulder, unzipping it to reveal Kaelynn’s helmet. He heard a quick intake of breath, looked up to see her smile again, beaming. With it in hand, he dropped his bag and stepped forward to set the helmet on Kaelynn’s head, buckling it under her chin and making sure the strap was secure.

“Sam, you never wear a helmet.”

“That’s because Mom never got me one as cool as yours.”

“Are you really going to teach me how to fly next year?”

“Baby steps, Kae. Baby steps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue:
> 
> Eva Alexander looked up at Sam from behind the morning newspaper, then asked, "How did it go last night?"
> 
> "The first aid kit might be missing a bandaid or two, but other than that I think it went pretty well."
> 
> "Well enough that I'm going to have to get her a skateboard for Christmas?"
> 
> "Well enough that you might have to get me a new one."


	2. outer space/earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We named it after you.”
> 
> “Nova? That’s a bit redundant for a star.”
> 
> “Sam,” Miles corrected.
> 
> “The certificate has Sam’s coordinates,” Kamala continued.
> 
> “My coordinates?”

“It’s- It’s a piece of paper.”

“It’s more than a piece of paper, Sam. Read it,” Kamala instructed.

“That’s a lot of effort. I don’t know that I’m up for it.”

“He’s basically telling us he doesn’t know how to read, Marvel. We sure know how to pick them,” Miles reached out to take the paper back from Sam. Sam slapped his hand away.

“Alright, alright. I’ll read it.” Sam scanned the paper. “You guys.”

“Yes, Samuel.”

“You bought me. A star?”

“We did.”

“Why?” Kamala smacked the back of his head, gently. Or, gently for someone who could actually probably knock his head off his shoulders if she really wanted. “You don’t ask someone why they got you a gift, jerk.”

“You do when you don’t understand why they got you the gift they got you.”

Miles rolled his eyes, “Someone sounds like they’ve still got a concussion.”

“Someone sounds like,” Sam mimicked, “Hey!”

Kamala brought her hand up again, but used it to rustle Sam’s hair, fondly, this time. “We named it after you.”

“Nova? That’s a bit redundant for a star.”

“Sam,” Miles corrected.

“The certificate has Sam’s coordinates," Kamala continued.

“My coordinates?”

“The stars. Catch up, Rocket.”

“The raccoon?” Miles punched his shoulder, “Kidding! Kidding.”

“We figured you could, y’know, do your Human Rocket thing and go check it out.”

“Guys,” Sam’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Kamala, I told you I’d leave if you made him cry.”

“Miles, you paid for half of the star. This is on you, too.”

“Guys!” Sam wrapped one arm around each of them, bringing them in for the world’s most awkward hug given that he was still stretched out on a hospital bed and his mother and sister were both just outside the door. “I love it. Thank you,” he released them from the hug, but kept each one of their hands in his, just behind the railings of the bed, and squeezed. Kamala leaned back down and kissed him on the cheek while Miles turned away, looking towards the television monitor suspended at the corner of the room, and blushed.

“Knock it off, Sam.”

“That’s how we got here, Webs.”

“That’s how we what?”

“You told me to knock it off.”

“I told you to knock Batroc off.”

“And here we are.”

Kamala smiled fondly, looking at the two of them. She let go of Sam’s hand and grabbed Miles by the elbow, “We’d better get going, your doctor was on their way back and Amadeus and Maddy are outside with the food truck.”

“The food truck is here?”

“Sam," Miles said, flatly.

“What? I’ve been eating hospital food for two days. I need sustenance.”

“Your mom made dinner plans, she’s just waiting to get you checked out,” Kamala said softly.

“You talked to my mom?”

“No, we told the nurses we were family.” Sam’s eyebrows lifted. “How do you think we got in here,” Kamala asked.

“That’s. Fair.”

“We’ve both got school in the morning, but text us when you get home,” Miles said.

“Yeah.”

“And Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“The world can go without Nova for another night."

“You sure about that?”

“Absolutely,” they said together.


	3. mentor/protégé

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hasn’t the ROTC taught you to respect your elders?”
> 
> “You’d have to tell me how much older than me you are before I start considering you my ‘elder,’ Colonel Danvers.”
> 
> “I should get you demoted for smarting off.”
> 
> “Did you just call me smart, ma’am?”

“They’ve changed the uniforms.”

“How long have you’ve been out again, ma’am?”

“Watch it, Alexander, I still outrank you.”

“You say the same thing to Cap.”

“Because it’s true.”

“Not for much longer.”

Carol looked at the bars on his shoulder, then at the ribbons just below his nametag. Sam had spent the last four years racking up every achievement he possibly could. For a kid who had a hard time getting through high school, he had certainly tried to make up the distance in college.

“Hasn’t the ROTC taught you to respect your elders?”

“You’d have to tell me how much older than me you are before I start considering you my ‘elder,’ Colonel Danvers.”

“I should get you demoted for smarting off.”

“Did you just call me smart, ma’am?” Sam smirked. In most ways, he was still the kid she’d found under the Nova helmet: smaller than you’d expect for his age and shouldering too much responsibility for someone his size. When had she started collecting sidekicks? No, not sidekicks. Heroes.

“You’ll never hear that from me, Cadet Alexander.”

“And you’ll only hear ‘Cadet Alexander’ for a few more hours. Are you sticking around for the ceremony? Gonna go plainclothes Carol?”

As much as she wished she could stick around, there was still so much to do. Kamala’s graduation wasn’t for another week, but Carol would already have to be back in space, so she was heading there next. “I’m sorry, Sam, you know I wish I could-“

“Don’t worry about it. It means a lot that you’re here now. My mom and Kaelynn are already in the auditorium, so it’s not like I’m alone.”

“You’ll tell Eva I said congratulations?”

“What are you congratulating her for? I’m the one graduating.”

“She did all of the hard work.” Carol hadn’t been a mom, but watching Jess do it these last few years, seeing Kamala’s parents, and occasionally dropping in on the Alexander household, well, she knew how much work they all put in when it came to their children.

“I’ll tell her. And Carol?” His voice faltered, he was nervous.

“Yeah, Cadet?” He winced.

“Thank you.”

“Sam, you don’t need to-“

“No, I do. None of this would’ve happened without you.” She remembered the day that he’d stopped by the station. Asked her for a letter of recommendation, said he was applying to schools with Air Force ROTCs. “I mean it. Thank you.”

Carol stepped forward, hugged Sam. He tensed, but then relaxed, returning the gesture. She stepped back, saluted him. His arm naturally mimicked hers.

“Colonel Danvers.”

“Airman Alexander.” She brought her hand down to the side of her head, engaging her helmet. “Aim high.” She took off.

“Fly. Fight. Win.”


	4. teams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What? Would you rather we call it an X-Change?”
> 
> “An exchange?”
> 
> “No. X. Change.”
> 
> “I believe he is trying to make a pun,” Viv stated.
> 
> “And failing,” Amadeus followed.
> 
> “Valiantly,” Miles finished.

“Secret Santa,” Amadeus declared.

“White Elephant Gift Exchange,” Kamala corrected.

“Too many syllables,” Sam followed, nudging Miles with his elbow conspiratorially.

“Nondenominational,” Kamala continued.

“Still too many syllables, Marvel.”

“Nova,” Scott said sternly.

“What? Would you rather we call it an X-Change?”

“An exchange?”

“No. X. Change.”

“I believe he is trying to make a pun,” Viv stated.

“And failing,” Amadeus followed.

“Valiantly,” Miles finished.

“Traitor. Who’s going first?” They had decided on a gift exchange a month ago, setting a price limit and drawing each other’s codenames out of a hat. Well, everyone’s codenames but Viv’s, Sam thought to himself.

“We could go by age,” Amadeus suggested.

“That would mean you would go first,” Kamala said pointedly.

“Or it could mean I would go first,” Scott said. Everyone turned their eyes on him, “Oh, come on. It’s a joke.”

“Why don’t I go first,” Miles asked and reached out for the box with “Spider-Man Jr.” written on it before anyone could argue with him. “Har. Har. Very funny.” He tore into the wrapping paper, opened the white box, and slowly unfolded the gift. “You’re hilarious.”

“You don’t even know who got it for you.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He pulled the sweater over his head, mask still firmly in place, and struck a pose. Peter Parker’s Spider-Man mask on a holiday print adorned the front of the sweater. “I love it. Who got it?”

The group was silent for a moment.

“I did. I am glad you appear to enjoy it,” Viv intoned. Miles got up, crossed the room, and hugged Viv. She remained still, processing for a moment longer than would be considered appropriate, before finally returning the hug. “You are welcome.”

“Viv, you should go next,” Kamala nudged her.

Miles used his web shooter to attach himself, upside down, to the ceiling. Viv selected her box out of the pile, one that simply had “Viv” printed on green wrapping paper. She opened it. “It appears we have unintentionally fallen into a theme.”

“What do you mean, Viv,” Amadeus asked.

“I have received a sweater as well,” she pulled hers out of its box, turning it in such a way as to show it to the others. The sweater had a pixelated Vision on it.

“It glows in the dark,” said Amadeus.

“Does it?”

“Spidey, hit the lights.” Miles flicked the switch with a careful shot of webbing and suddenly the knit-Vision began to glow.

“I- I love it. Thank you, Amadeus.”

“You should put it on, Viv, like Webs,” Kamala suggested as she elongated her arm to turn the light back on.

“Oh, of course,” she tugged the sweater on over her t-shirt. “I suppose this means that Amadeus is up next.” The room lit up as Amadeus grabbed his box, shaking it theatrically.

“If this is a sweater I’m not sure it’s going to fit.”

“Why don’t you open it up before you mouth off?”

“Yes, sir, Captain Cyclops, sir.” Amadeus carefully removed the wrapping paper, red with Bruce Banner Hulks in Santa hats printed across it. Inside, a hand knit, purple scarf and hat set with white snowflake designs on either end of the scarf and around the brim of the hat. “Wow,” he whispered.

“I didn’t think you’d wear a sweater,” Kamala said flatly, “since you spend so much time, y’know, topless.” Amadeus hulked out, pulled Kamala into his arms and squeezed.

“Thanks, Stretch.”

“You. ‘Re. Wel. Come,” Kamala said between breaths of air. “Now. Put. Me. Down.” Amadeus set Kamala down, wrapped the scarf around his neck and tugged the hat over hair. “I guess I’m next.” She reached into the dwindling pile, pulling out a box.

“You sure that’s for you,” Sam asked.

“Process of elimination.” The box was wrapped in old-school Avengers paper that was more suited for a birthday party than a holiday gift exchange. Kamala found the seam of tape and expertly pulled it off. Another white clothes box revealed itself. She pulled off the top to find a beautiful red sweater and another, smaller box. Kamala picked up the smaller box in one hand, brushing the sweater with the other, and then opened the second box to find a lacquer pin that simply read, “Ho! Ho! No.” She laughed so hard she doubled over.

“You kept saying how much you hated the holiday,” Scott said, scratching the back of his head, “but I didn’t want you to feel left out. So I, uh, hope you like it. Jean helped me pick out the sweater and Idie got the pin on something called Etsy?” Kamala quickly pulled the sweater on over her uniform, careful to keep her mask in place. She attached the pin and hugged Scott.

“Thank you, Slim.”

“I’m really gonna be last aren’t I?”

“Way to ruin a moment, Rocket,” Miles shot back.

“Looks like it,” Scott said before grabbing the second-to-last box from the pile. It was wrapped in gold paper and marked only with a large, black, Sharpie’d “X.” With more care than either Amadeus or Kamala, Scott took the wrapping paper off the box and folded it, setting it gently aside before returning to the lid of the box.

“Dude, you unwrap gifts like my grandmother,” Miles whined.

“Now who’s ruining a moment,” Sam shouted.

“Boys!”

“We’re sorry, Ms. Marvel,” Miles and Sam said together.

Viv asked, “Scott?”

“Oh, I, uh, this is great.” Scott rubbed the heel of his palm against his cheek, just under his visor.

“Dude if you cry and end up lasering one of us to death-”

“Nova.”

“-then I just want you to know that I got you the sweater,” he glared at Kamala.

“It’s great.”

“You already said that.”

“I- I did,” Scott pulled the sweater on; it was a rich blue with a large “X” in gold spanning the front. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t decide between C or S so I went with X and,” Sam rambled. Scott yanked him into a hug, silencing him. “Anyway. I’m glad you like it. Looks like I’m next!” Sam pulled away from Scott as quickly as he could, almost diving towards the last box that had been under their nondenominational holiday tree that Amadeus had dragged in against Kamala’s wishes. Before he could reach the box, Miles pulled it up and out of the way with a web.

“Not so fast,” he dangled it above Sam’s head.

“You’re really gonna make me put the helmet on, Webs?”

“Nah,” Miles dropped the box right on Sam’s unguarded head.

“Thanks,” Sam said flatly, rubbing his hand over his head to fix his hair. It was the only box of the group that was really decorated with a traditional Christmas pattern, a kind of wrapping paper that his mom would’ve picked out. He tore into it without any kind of restraint. Inside, yet another white box. He pulled the lid off, threw it somewhere in the direction of Miles’s head, heard a yelp, and proceeded to pull out the tackiest Christmas sweater he had ever seen in his entire life. “I hate it.”

“You do not.”

“I really, really do.”

“You’re going to break my heart.”

“You deserve it. This is an atrocity.”

“Nova, it can’t be that bad,” Kamala consoled.

“Yes, yes it can,” he pulled it out and held it up so that the rest of the group could see it. It had Santa in his sleigh along the bottom, with eight reindeer pulling it, led by a Rudolph whose nose was an actual bulb. The reins of the sleigh and reindeer harnesses were lined with actual jingle bells, and it was heavy.

“There’s a battery pack inside. I think it’s safe to say it’s not machine-washable, but I don’t think you’ve ever washed the Nova suit anyway so just do what you do to that to this,” Miles said.

“To this monstrosity.”

“It lights up and also plays music.”

“I hate you.”

“Put it on, Rocket.”

“Never.”

“For me, pretty please?” Miles was in front of him now, hands pressed together and as puppy-eyed as he could be behind the spider-mask. Sam sighed, tugged the sweater on over his head. “You’ve got to turn it on, man.”

“I most certainly do not," he said in his best Kamala impersonation.

“I would like to see it turned on,” Viv added.

“Me, too!” Amadeus continued.

“Me, three,” Kamala was at his side, nudging him.

“Do it for the team, dude,” Scott finished.

“Ugh, I hate all of you. I quit. Is it too late to beg the Avengers to take me back?” Sam found the battery pack, flipped the switch, and groaned as “Jingle Bells” began to play. Rudolph’s nose flashed and the bells jingled as Amadeus picked him up and shook him to the melody of the song. “Has the statute of limitations run out on turning Spidey over to the authorities?”

“Merry Christmas, Sam,” Miles laughed.

“Happy holidays, guys,” Kamala corrected, “That’s not too many syllables.”

“And a happy new year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am indebted to hafza (who you can find on ao3 @[iswearitt](http://archiveofourown.org/users/iswearitt)) for inspiring this fic


	5. surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Is class... over," he asked, looking back up at her.
> 
> "For a while, no one had the heart to wake you."
> 
> "Does that mean you don't have a heart?" _Smooth, Alexander, s m o o t h._
> 
> "You were drooling." _Nice_. "There's a puddle."  _N i c e_. "Didn't want you to drown in your own spit."
> 
> "My hero." _Okay, she actually smiled at that one. Has talking to girls always been this hard?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor spoilers for Nova #1 and Champions #3.

"Sam?"

_Huh._

"SAM?"

"Huh?"

"Samuel Alexander are you paying any attention?"

 _Truthfully, no. Not at all. Not in the least._ But now Lina was standing before him and, well, given that she had met him when he wasn't wearing pants he couldn't exactly imagine what he could've done now that she was calling him Samuel.

"How do you know that's my name?" _Good, keep her on her toes. Keep her guessing._

"Is it not?" _She's good._

"Well. No," he replied.

She smirked and suddenly Sam realized he was looking up at her. He was short, but not that short. He shook his head, turned left and right, then realized that they were in an all-but-abandoned classroom, and he was still tucked away in his desk. His feet were asleep.

"Is class... over," he asked, looking back up at her.

"For a while, no one had the heart to wake you."

"Does that mean you don't have a heart?" _Smooth, Alexander, s m o o t h._

"You were drooling." _Nice_. "There's a puddle."  _N i c e_. "Didn't want you to drown in your own spit."

"My hero." _Okay, she actually smiled at that one. Has talking to girls always been this hard?_

"You're welcome," she paused for a beat, "Did you bring lunch?"

"No. Yes. Maybe?" _This is going well._

"Well, there isn't enough time for you to go to the cafeteria." _That's true._ "You can share mine, I overpacked."  _Am I in love?_

Sam nodded, smiling broadly. Then he tried to get up, realized his legs were asleep from the knee down, and struggled for a second, almost collapsing in the next line of desks.

"Are you okay?" _Not even a little bit._

"Not even a little bit," Sam replied. _She smiled again, that was good. This is good. We have a rapport._

Lina began to leave the classroom, letting Sam follow almost on her heels. She walked past the cafeteria, still bustling with the sound of student eating and talking and laughing and Sam heard a friend call out his name.  _No, be cool. Be cool_. He waved back excitedly, motioning towards Lina. His friend gave him a thumbs-up and Sam, not paying any more attention than before, tripped and fell against Lina.  _I'm the worst_.

"I'm the worst. I'm so sorry, let me," he tried to help her up, but now she was laughing.

"Samuel Alexander, I should've left you where I found you."

"Drowning in my own spit?"

"Yes." He quickly helped her up, blushing as he did so. 

"That probably would've been the smart thing to do, but now you've promised me food and I owe you three wishes."

"Is that how this works?"  _When you wish upon a star? That's one, let's go with three for a Nova. Am I a genie?_

"Your wish is my command."  _The Nova helmet is in my backpack. We're outside. If I really have to I can literally jettison myself off planet._

But Lina laughed, again.

"You're funny, Samuel."

"My friends call me Sam."  _Not that I want you to be a friend. Well, I mean I do, but like also not._

"Are we friends now?" She gave him the same look she did when they first met.  _Am I wearing pants?_ Sam looked down.  _Yes, okay, at least I'm wearing pants this time_. "Sam?"

"Yes, I mean, if you want to be if you don't I totally get it I mean I wasn't wearing pants when we first met and then I was drooling on my desk and I might've fallen asleep during class? That's still unclear so I understand completely if you don't want to be friends but like-"  _Oh, oh no. She's staring. Why is she staring. Am I still talking? Did my pants disappear? How many seconds would it take for me to unzip my backpack and run far enough away to get the helmet on without her seeing it-_

"Sam, you need to get out of your head. Of course I want to be friends," she paused, "And you fell asleep at the end of class. Long night?"  _Ha. If only._

"Long night. Long day. Long year, if I'm going to be honest with you."  _Long lifetime, really._

"Wanna tell me about it?" She sat at a picnic table just outside the doors of the school, in an area where a few other students were taking in the sunshine and eating their lunches.

"You don't want to hear about it."

"What if it's one of my three wishes?"

"Three?"  _Three wishes_. _Right_. "I wouldn't waste one on my life story and I'm me."  _I'm me._ "I mean, I've lived it and I can tell you it's not great." She frowned.  _Oh no._

"Then why don't you start by telling me what happened last night."

"I-" he winced, "-can't. As much as I want to and as much as I'd like to,"  _and as much as I like you_ , "I can't."

"Samuel Alexander, I wish you would tell me about last night."

"Lina-"

"It's a wish, you promised me three wishes and I'm using one now." Her arms were crossed over her chest and her look was fixed on him.  _She's not gonna take no for an answer_. Sam sighed.

"You're not even going to begin to believe me."

"Try me," she challenged. And so he did. He told her about wrestling with space parasites on a living planet and flying halfway across the world with the Champions and when she stared at him wide-eyed he thought,  _I should not have told her that._

"I should not have told you that. You think I'm crazy. Insane. You're going to have me committed. I'm going to have me-"

"Sam, stop," she paused. "Let me see it."

"Let you see what?"

"The helmet, Sam."

"Oh,"  _the helmet, right. That makes sense_. He pulled his backpack up off the ground, unzipping it just enough to let the red of the Nova star peek out. He heard her gasp, just barely audible.

And then? The bell rang.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me over on the big blue website at vivvision


End file.
